That appears to be the sole purpose of the incremental update, too, besides a few standard maintenance and bug fixes. Maybe Palm is hoping this is the time Apple will just roll over and acquiesce to having another manufacturer’s device take advantage of its proprietary software. Not likely.

So who’s the villain here? Is it Apple for being the big bully and not letting Palm play along with its iPod and iPhone devices? Or is it Palm, which isn’t satisfied with its own solution and has to go leeching off the better software design of its rival, despite the repeated objections of both that company and organizations governing its devices’ use?

Here’s an excerpt from the USB-IF’s letter (via Softpedia) back to Palm in response to the smartphone maker’s complaint against Apple:

Your letter also states that:
“Palm will shortly issue an update of its WebOS operating system that uses Apple’s Vendor ID number for the sole purpose of restoring the Palm media sync functionality.”
I attach for your information the USB-IF’s adopted and published policy regarding Vendor Identification Numbers (VIDs). Under the Policy, Palm may only use the single Vendor ID issued to Palm for Palm’s usage. Usage of any other company’s Vendor ID is specifically precluded. Palm’s expressed intent to use Apple’s VID appears to violate the attached policy.
Please clarify Palm’s intent and respond to this potential violation within seven days.

So, according to the Forum at least, Palm is in the wrong here. And why wouldn’t it be? We can lament all we want the fact that iTunes doesn’t provide an API to hardware manufacturers so that we could use our Sansa, Zune, BlackBerry, and whatever other devices with it, but the fact remains that it doesn’t, and because of that no company really has the right to commandeer the use of the software for its own purposes. What if the DSi started doing that with Sony’s Media Go PC software for the PSP? Obviously, it wouldn’t fly.

And it’s not like iTunes media is inaccessible for devices other than iPods and iPhones. BlackBerry’s recently released Desktop Manager for Mac allows for syncing with iTunes playlists. It does so by reading the iTunes library .XML file, which is readily available to all programs, and it handles the actual syncing process on its own. It’s something Palm could easily mimic.

I was rooting for the little guy, but as this drags on, I’m beginning more and more to take Apple’s side. Palm is looking increasingly like it’s unwilling to try to stand on its own. No doubt the update war will continue, but to what end? Apple will eventually win, and Palm’s time would be better spent trying to design an equally elegant solution of its own.

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Steve Jobs, Jon Rubinstein, Ed Colligan

According to Bloomberg, former Palm CEO Ed Colligan rejected an offer by Steve Jobs to refrain from hiring each other’s employees.

Similar allegations have been made regarding Apple and Google recently, though in that instance the policy was supposedly an informal and undocumented one, but with Palm there are “communications” involved.

“We must do whatever we can to stop this,” said Steve Jobs on the issue of “poaching” employees, the practice of hiring away highly-capable individuals from one company to another. In the most notable example of employees sharing between the two companies, Jon Rubinstein, SVP of Apple’s iPod division until 2006, later became Executive Chairman of the Board at Palm, and was a driving force behind the company-saving Pre initiative. This seems to have not sat well with Steve Jobs, hence his “communication” with Ed Colligan in 2007 about Rubinstein attempting to recruit more Apple employees. Colligan’s reported reply was short, but succinct.

“Your proposal that we agree that neither company will hire the other’s employees, regardless of the individual’s desires, is not only wrong, it is likely illegal.”

It certainly would be a violation of anti-trust law, if it happened. Considering this incident occurred two years ago, it’s remarkable that the Department of Justice hasn’t been interested, which Palm claims it isn’t. Of course, it’s possible Colligan didn’t release details of a “likely illegal” offer until recently, but that seems odd, too. Also odd is the fact that no one knows what exactly Jobs wanted Colligan to do.

According to Bloomberg, the “exact details of what Jobs proposed to Colligan aren’t known; Jobs didn’t mention a proposal in the communications reviewed by Bloomberg.” So, to sum up, there is nothing written down, the “communication” was verbal, two years old, and originates from a company with an increasingly bitter relationship with Apple.

Don’t expect to see Steve Jobs doing doing a perp walk anytime soon over this one.

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It appeared to be just another innocuous third-decimal-point minor update, but today’s release of iTunes 8.2.1 carried more than the usual “bug fixes and stability improvements.” (Those are still there, too.) For owners of the recently introduced Palm Pre unfortunate enough to have already downloaded and installed the update, it also ends the iTunes playlist syncing party. It was inevitable, since Apple clearly regards iTunes syncing as the exclusive, sacred territory of its own devices, but it probably still has a few Pre owners trying to turn back the clock.

TUAW’s Christina Warren first suggested that Pre syncing was blocked with this update, having spotted a crucial passage in the release notes stating, “Tunes 8.2.1 provides a number of important bug fixes and addresses an issue with verification of Apple devices.” While Warren didn’t have access to a Pre to test her theory herself, many Pre-specific sites and bloggers quickly confirmed that it was indeed the case that the device is no longer recognized. So far, the reports I’ve seen are specific to Macs, but I doubt the Windows version of iTunes would retain Pre syncing.

Interestingly, when Pre owners plugged their devices in, they found that iTunes came to the front, just as it does when you plug in an iPod or iPhone, but no device showed up in the source menu. This suggests that the program is still aware that the device exists, but that Apple has introduced some kind of blocking software to stop the process there. It also suggests that it might be possible for Palm or independent devs to create a workaround to get syncing functioning again.

In the meantime, if no fix ever does surface, Pre owners can always use doubleTwist or The Missing Sync for Pre to get around Apple’s blockade.

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It may have come a little late, and it may not have come via a first-party solution, but the iPhone is now able to emulate one of the Palm Pre’s neatest tricks: wireless charging. I assume I’m not the only one who enviously ogled the Pre when the Touchstone was first revealed, which uses inductive coupling to charge the phone when a special back attachment is affixed.

The iPhone version similarly requires two components: a charging pad and a case for your iPhone that allows the magic to happen. The combo is made and sold by WildCharge, and it uses a fairly low-profile gel skin inductor that should add no more girth to your device than most form-fitting iPhone cases. The difference in the WildCharge case is a protrusion at the base, where the charging element is located that plugs into your iPhone’s dock connector.

The price for getting your Pre-wielding friends to shut up? $80, give or take. The device isn’t yet available for the iPhone (it’s coming in early July), but an iPod touch version can be purchased now via the WildCharge web site. I’m intrigued, but I think I’ll wait for some hands-on testimonial from disinterested third parties before I go spending any cash.

Don’t get me wrong, I hate wires and cables as much as the next guy, but I’m wondering if this wireless charging business is going anywhere useful or if it’ll just become another vast series of proprietary devices we have hanging out of our electrical sockets. It sure seems to be headed that way. Hopefully some kind of industry standard emerges. Call me a cynic, but I find it unlikely in a world of dock connectors, Mini DisplayPorts, and thousands of single-use USB cables.

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Apple’s recent tech note regarding third parties using iTunes’ syncing has caused plenty of discussion. Should Apple “break” the Pre’s ability to sync as an iPod? Why would Cupertino do this? The comments across the web vary in their opinions, so I’ll throw mine in here as well.

First, it’s no secret what I think of Palm’s decision to hack its way into iTunes as an iPod. I also believe Apple should put a stop to it. But in a broader view, this isn’t just about Palm or the Pre.

Let’s look at the three most common positions in this debate.

Apple hates competition

There are those who think Apple “breaking” the Pre’s ability to sync is because Apple doesn’t want competition. This is the view I have the least patience with, and disagree with the most.

I have no idea how these people define “competition,” but I fail to see how any reasonable definition could possibly include not writing your own software, and instead hacking into someone else’s. The whole competition angle is a red herring, in my opinion. It has nothing to do with that.

Grin and bear it

There are those who think Apple doesn’t have to like it, but shouldn’t waste the time or resources to put a stop to it.

Fair enough, I suppose, and if a large effort were required, there may be some value in this. But the details I’ve read seem to indicate the time needed would be pretty small. Seems to me it could be easily rolled into the next iTunes update and, with a new OS and iPhone model coming out now, the next bug fix release is likely to be pretty soon.

Close the hole that’s being hacked

And there are those, like me, who think Apple should close the “loophole” that allows Palm to do this in the first place. I touched on why I think this before, but here’s a summary:

• While third-party players can use iTunes (as a mass storage device), and many of them do, the “sync” capability is a differentiating feature Apple wrote and provides to iPods only. Common sense would suggest it’s Apple’s to allow (or not) for other devices. Palm’s feigned surprise is disingenuous at best. Obviously Palm know it’s a great feature or it wouldn’t have hacked the software in the first place.
• The idea that someone can trick iTunes into being an iPod never came up before. One could argue it’s a hole in iTunes that needs to be closed.
• Apple will get calls for support if this is not stopped and there are issues with Pre syncing. I would argue that the release note was more a preventative measure (though futile) against that than it was any specific warning to Palm, because no such warning should be required when a third party hacks your software — it ought be understood.

But there is another reason, one even more important than the others. Until now, no one exploited the hole because they didn’t know about it. Palm had the advantage of lots of ex-Apple talent, so it knew just what to do. Good for Palm, but now that it’s shown the smartphone world how to pull this off, what’s to stop others from doing it as well?

In other words, forget the Pre, or even Palm. There’s an exposure for iTunes here that could have BlackBerrys, LGs, Nokias, etc. all passing themselves off as iPods. Again, the obvious question to me is that, having learned there’s this hole in iTunes, Apple should take steps to close it. An iPod can be an iPod, and the rest can be, well, the rest. If they want seamless syncing, they can write their own software to do it.

I have no idea what Apple will do here. I’ve already stated I think the tech note is less a warning and more a preemptive “CYA,” but a company that prides itself on customer service will not want to continually refer Pre owners to a tech note. To me, that’s a short-term thing. Ultimately Apple needs to close that iTunes hole.

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The Palm Pre is here, and while it hasn’t exactly felled the Goliath of Apple’s iPhone, it does have some features that are making iPhone users jealous. One is greater built-in social networking connectivity, including Facebook integration. The implementation of Facebook in Palm’s WebOS basically allows your Pre phone to store Facebook friend info in your address book, and then message those people directly from the phone.

Zynga wants Apple to make a similar move towards greater Facebook connectivity with the iPhone, but the game company has different motives, and very different integration goals as a result. Specifically, Zuora is looking for Apple to implement a platform-wide solution for a feature that it currently builds into each of its individual apps: Facebook Connect access.

Facebook Connect, for those who don’t know, allows users to enter their Facebook credentials to log into an app (web or otherwise) for a variety of purposes, including commenting on forums, and game score tracking and cross-platform integration. So, in Zynga’s case, for instance, it allows your Word Scramble scores on your iPhone and your Scramble scores on Facebook to be tracked across both.

Zynga clearly has a good reason, then, to want Apple to bake Facebook Connect right into the iPhone platform, since its users would then be saved the extra step of having to sign in every time they download and play a new Zynga game. It probably wouldn’t take much effort on Apple’s part to include the service, especially compared to the work required by game makers like Zynga to include it each and every time they produce a game. Including a Facebook Connect API would be much more efficient from a developer’s perspective.

While it makes lots of sense for companies in the social casual gaming sense like Zynga to push FB Connect integration, does it make sense from Apple’s perspective? If the benefits of inclusion only appeal to the relatively narrow audience of regular Zynga players who use both Facebook and iPhones, I doubt Apple will go out of its way to come up with a platform-wide solution on its side of things.

But the potential of Facebook Connect, or Google Friend Connect for that matter, could appeal to a much broader audience than just social game devs. Because FB Connect leverages the power of your social networking sites in the context of virtually any web-connected application, the possibilities that present themselves when you combine this tech with a device as prolific and app-oriented as the iPhone are endless. In theory, you could then have one cohesive identity for all web, phone, and app usage, all from your smartphone, where it makes sense, as opposed to on a computer, where that kind of access would present much more of a security concern.

Apple has to go somewhere from iPhone OS 3.0, and unlike the release of 2.0, user complaints and requests aren’t so deafening as to point the way (read the last paragraph, especially) for future feature inclusions. Facebook Connect integration is fertile ground, especially if one of Apple’s goals is to continue appealing to developers in new and interesting ways. Plus, Palm dropped the gauntlet on greater social network connectivity. Time to pick it up.

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Harry McCracken at Technologizer wrote a nice piece about the virtues of hardware keyboards on smartphones.

I think one reason a keyboard argument even exists is because when competing in a given market, you have to tag a competitor’s hot product with a “missing feature,” and then provide that feature. (How many manufacturers claimed FM radio and replaceable batteries were glaring omissions from the iPod, only to find adding it to their devices made no difference?) I think the Palm Pre — mentioned in the article — has a hardware keyboard partially to trumpet having something the iPhone lacks (and partially because it’s easier to implement than a software one).

McCracken lists four benefits he believes a hardware keyboard provides:

1) Familiarity and lack of learning curve. The iPhone’s on-screen keys and autocorrection can be utterly befuddling when you first encounter them…

True enough, but this is the result of two things, only one of which is tied to the software keyboard. The flat, smooth keys are definitely unlike any keyboard most people have typed on, and take getting used to. However, autocorrection is a function that exists in hardware keyboards as well. Even keypad devices used T9 (or similar) to help “guess” your words. If Apple introduced a hardware keyboard tomorrow, an autocorrection learning curve would still exist.

2) Tactile feedback.

McCracken discusses this at length, and I do not dispute it. I’m very proficient on the iPhone’s keyboard, but even after two years I can’t say I’m totally used to not getting that feedback. I would love to see this solved, but I think the RIM Storm’s simplistic (clumsy?) attempt at adding it is a failure. I’m not sure how this can be properly solved on a software keyboard, but I would welcome it.

3) Two-handed typing.

Here McCracken is referring to thumb-typing. He can thumb-type on any hardware keyboard, but not on the iPhone. I use my index finger on smartphones, so to be honest I can’t say this “benefit” of a hardware keyboard had occurred to me. I know that requests for a landscape keyboard on the iPhone were primarily by those who want to thumbtype. They’ll get their wish in iPhone 3.0. Will that do it?

4) No resolution penalty.

This one struck me the most because I see an alternate view as a disadvantage to hardware keyboards.

What McCracken refers to is the fact that when a software keyboard is present, it takes up a large chunk of the screen. There’s no denying this, and no question it’s a drawback of a software keyboard. Though I think the statement “[T]yping e-mails that are more than a couple of sentences long presents a challenge” is overstating it. I’ve written many emails, notes, and even blog entries a lot longer than a couple of sentences. Still, his point is well taken.

Now I’d like to provide a list of what I think are software keyboard benefits:

1. No device size penalty

This is the alternate view of #4 above. With a software keyboard, the screen gets smaller, but with a hardware keyboard the entire device gets bigger. It’s fine to say a device feels great in the hand, but then you flop out the keyboard and it becomes a bit clumsy. The balance is off. It sits in your hand differently. I think people thumb-type with these because once it’s opened you almost have to handle it with two hands. It’s not at all uncommon for me to type on the iPhone with one hand. I like the fact that the device doesn’t change physical dimensions on me.

2. Portrait and landscape

A software keyboard can change to suit the user or application. A great example of this is orientation. A hardware keyboard sits one way, and that’s it. The Pre’s, for example, is portrait. That may be my preference, but if you’re a landscape junkie, too bad.

3. Appears automatically

I don’t have to grab the thing and flip it out, or up, or over when I need it. The device knows when I need it and presents it to me. Again, this makes one-handed typing for short things a lot easier. I also don’t have to put the thing away when I’m done.

4. Can be changed with software updates

Adding new layouts for other countries is a relatively simple matter. In addition, modifying the properties is possible (for example, the systemwide availability of landscape mode for OS 3.0 mentioned above).

5. Allows specialty keys

For example, in Safari there’s a special key that enters “.com”. But it doesn’t stop there; if you press and hold that key a menu pops with other common URL endings (e.g., .net, .edu). Nice. Also, when typing regular text, press and hold the vowels to see a popup of accented characters.

I could also list no keys popping off, or getting mushy, or any other of the mechanical things that can go wrong with a hardware keyboard. I believe the inherent advantages and flexible nature of a software keyboard will eventually win out over the rigid inflexibility of the hardware variety, though I don’t claim this will happen anytime soon. Well, unless they get that tactile feedback thing solved; then I think hardware keyboards are toast.

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Palm’s been working hard to mastermind the Pre launch this Saturday, but I think they’re getting it all wrong. Now Sprint has joined in. It’s reached the point where they look like a couple of companies seriously in need of some business acumen.

Early reviews of the Pre are promising, yet I wonder if the bumbling, stumbling, Three Stooges approach Palm and its partners have used from the Pre’s introduction to its launch aren’t enough to ruin it anyway. Looking back, it’s hard to think of anything Palm did right with the launch after its introduction demo at CES in January.

Here’s a brief recap of everything that seems to have gone wrong.

• You had Palm investor Roger McNamee shooting his mouth off so badly that Palm actually had to issue a retraction of his statements. Way to control the message, guys.
• You had rumors about there being a constrained supply of Pres. This was followed by an outright admission. It doesn’t bother me if Palm feels the need for supply manipulation, but I disagree with it.
• There was a big deal about Best Buy selling the Pre with an instant $100 rebate instead of the mail-in rebate at Sprint stores. But then we found out they’re hardly letting Best Buy have any phones.
• The rebate itself is only good for five weeks (until 7/11), at which time the Pre will be $300. With the constrained supplies it makes you wonder how many people will actually save $100.
• Meanwhile, you’ve got developers who can’t get the SDK, and…
• Verizon blabbing that they’ll have the Pre in six months, potentially killing early sales.

And now, as the straw that broke this camel’s back, you have the sideshow from Palm and Sprint about how it’s actually good if there’s no lines or crowds for the Pre.

A Palm spokeswoman, Lynn Fox, said that people who equate success with packed stores may be disappointed, because the company will take time to generate buzz with the new phone. “We’re not like Apple,” she said.

Yes, equating a packed store with success is a mistake. They’re probably just their to return your merchandise or ask about a competitor. Well, Lynn, I can vouch for the fact that Palm is definitely not like Apple. They like their stores packed. Silly Apple.

And Mark Elliott, a spokesman for Sprint, said the company not only didn’t expect long lines for the Pre at its 1,100 stores — it didn’t want them.

BWAHAHAHA! Well of course they didn’t want lines. In fact, Sprint plans to shoo people away if even the merest hint of a line forms. Shoo! Go away, people! Nothing to see here.

“We’re actually trying to manage the exact opposite,” Mr. Elliott said.

Well, your strategy so far is right on track for that. I do have one question though: Are you insane?

“What we’re trying to do is not have people backed up waiting so customers feel rushed,” Mr. Elliott said. “We want each customer to get the experience.”

Which experience is that? The one of being lonely in the store because you don’t want any crowds, or the one of deciding to buy a Pre only to be turned away because of the constrained supply?

Success “is not about having a line out the door,” he said. “It’s about being able to treat each customer and make sure they’re happy with their decision.”

A certain company I know of believes that success is both. They can have packed stores and lines and an incredibly happy and satisfied customer base all at the same time. That sounds a lot more like success than what you’re trying to manage.

“Not like Apple,” indeed.

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One of the nicest things about having an iPod or iPhone is the easy syncing with iTunes, especially for Mac users. In fact, it’s such a perk, that users are constantly looking for ways to get their BlackBerry and other devices to sync as well. How Palm’s upcoming Pre phone (which could be one of the most hyped in history) will stack up against the iPhone still isn’t perfectly clear, but as of today, we know one thing for sure: It will sync with iTunes seamlessly on a Mac.

And I don’t use the term “seamlessly” lightly. According to Fortune’s Apple 2.0 blog, once you plug your Pre into your Mac, iTunes will treat it just like an iPhone or an iPod, with the exception that it won’t work with Apple’s older, DRM-protected tracks. That’s as good a reason as any to finally get around to upgrading your tracks to “Pro,” though it won’t ease the sting of having to pay again for music you already bought.

The news comes direct from a Palm PR representative, who mentioned iTunes syncing in passing at Comdex in January. Confirmation has since come from many sources, since, as Apple 2.0 points out, there’s no shortage of Pre devices being tested live in the wild.

Unlike previous solutions for other Palm and BlackBerry devices, you won’t need any third-party software to encourage iTunes to recognize your Pre. The necessary code is apparently built right into the device’s firmware. As Apple 2.0 rightly points out, that isn’t surprising, considering the high percentage of ex-Cupertino employees the Pre has on its development team.

Apple is already on the defensive with Palm over the multi-touch capabilities of its new WebOS handset. During the last two quarterly financial results conference calls, Apple execs have suggested that once the Pre comes to market, if it looks like any of Apple’s multi-touch technology was purloined for its design, there will be legal action. Whether or not the Palm smartphone’s ability to sync with iTunes out of the box might also land the two companies in court isn’t clear, but at the very least, you can bet that future iterations of iTunes and/or OS X will try to restore the iPhone/iPod only limitation.

The Pre launches on June 6 (two days before the WWDC keynote) and will retail for $200 with a contract subsidy. Can’t wait to see the sparks fly, but I hope it doesn’t result in a nasty, distracting legal battle that impedes the exciting and innovative work both players are doing in the smartphone industry.

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First of all, the iPhone is thinner, lighter, has a bigger screen, and is sexier than the Pre. And it comes in two colors. These are all things we know, though. AT&T. Some people will still opt for the Pre because they think it’s “different.” There must be other, more tangible, functional differences between the two phones.

Actually, pretty much every point beyond superficial concerns does seem to make a strong case in the iPhone’s favor. It is true, after all, that the App Store has already proven its value, while Pre’s offerings have yet to be tested. And apparently the Pre’s interface, while multitouch, is not nearly as intuitive as the iPhone’s. While I’m taking AT&T’s word for that, it is true that I couldn’t imagine a more intuitive interface than the one the iPhone currently boasts. Also listed on the iPhone’s side in the UI category is “fast and responsive navigation,” which would seem to infer that the Pre is slow and sluggish by comparison, though again, this is unsubstantiated.

Another very crucial difference has to do with the limits the Pre suffers from by not being a GSM phone. Obviously, this means it can’t be used anywhere in the world as easily as the iPhone can, which is a huge point of contention for business travelers and other globe-trotting individuals. Also, the lack of GSM means that the Pre can’t take advantage of location and GPS functions in most locations around the world. Apparently the iPhone’s GPS is just better thanks to aGPS, too. I will say that it’s worked flawlessly since updating to the 3.0 Beta.

Some of the other differences are more ridiculous, and clearly skewed by AT&T’s not-so-secret preference. The iPhone, for example, is touted for featuring a built-in iPod. C’mon Pre, where’s your built-in iPod? I’m sure if you just asked Apple nicely, they’d totally let you do that. Also “Limited free Wi-Fi access” for the Pre as opposed to what, unlimited free Wi-Fi access for the iPhone? Last time I checked, I couldn’t get a Wi-Fi connection wherever I wanted whenever I wanted, which, technically, means it has “limits.”

Whether or not you believe AT&T’s propaganda, we’ll find out how they really stack up soon enough, since this document all but confirms that the Pre’s release is imminent.

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